The Penny Black - World's First Postage Stamp

In the 1830's, mail in the United Kingdom of England and Ireland was paid for by the recipient of the mail. The amount charged for postal delivery was based upon the weight of the item as well as how far it had to travel. Most of the working population could not afford to receive mail from a distance and many just would not accept the delivery. With the proliferation of railways throughout the United Kingdom to support the growing factories during the Industrial Revolution, businesses and government realized that the debt-ridden postal system needed to be reformed.

In 1837 a schoolteacher named Rowland Hill proposed a prepayment system utilizing one cent stamps on postage. in 1839, the British Treasury announced a competition to design the first stamp. None of the submissions were considered acceptable and a portrait of Queen Victoria was chosen instead. The Penny Black was this first, adhesive, postage stamp. The Penny Black has a simple black background with a profile of Queen Victoria in the center, the words "POSTAGE" and "ONE PENNY" along the top and bottom, respectively. The Penny Black was used for just over one year. The postage cancellation mark was in red ink, which was hard to see on the black stamp and also was easy to remove.

The Penny Red replaced the Penny Black in 1841 (utilizing black ink cancellation marks). Since over 68 million Penny Blacks were printed, many have survived and it is not a particularly rare stamp. As with all stamps, however, condition and whether or not it was ever used, determine a stamp's value on the collectors' market. A used Penny Black in poor condition can be found for under 10 Pounds (or 20 Dollars), sometimes significantly less. Just remember that whatever the quality of that Penny Black you own, you are holding an important piece of history that is much more that just another postage stamp.

by Scott Bailey

The Souvenir Smashed Penny Collector

To be a souvenir smashed-penny collector; I can't think of a hobby too much finer than that. This collector has an elusive goal; find every last souvenir smashed penny that exists in the country, in North America, in the world.
There is something special about a smashed-penny collector. He is always on the hunt. He drives down I-5 in California's Central Valley. He is headed to Los Angeles but sees a sign diverting to Yosemite. The idea hits, "I bet there is a penny-smashing machine in the park. Wow! Yosemite, what a great one to add." All of a sudden a mundane trip takes him on a quest.
He is now on highway 120, and no longer pushing lead for Los Angeles. He is on a quest for his treasure- a Yosemite smashed penny. Life has its treasures.
He enters the park. Yosemite is a vast wonderland. There are signs for El Capitan, for Half Dome, for the Seven Sisters, but a penny-smasher makes his own map. "Excuse me, park ranger, I am looking for the penny-smashing machine, can you direct me to it? I have driven here from San Francisco to get my treasure." That is not exactly the kind of information one volunteers.
So the afternoon proceeds. Into every gift shop, every restaurant, over the shoulder looking at towering rocks and waterfalls; however, in Yosemite's treasure, there is only one treasure, the smashed penny.
Ah, ha. At 4:45, in a candy stand, there is the elusive machine, where it has sat on duty for thirty plus years. Two quarters into the slot and a penny into the tray, and smash! The image of a bear and "Yosemite National Park," written on a one cent coin. Seek your treasures.

by Andy Fletcher

Penny Stocks Might Well Avail

Investors looking to buy penny stocks might well avail of advice from the established brokers. Further, they can also look into newsletters published by various penny stock brokers. These newsletters carry analysis of the possible market trends in penny stocks along with other details like special focus on select stocks. Buy and sell recommendations supported by hints at possible triggers are also published in such newsletters.

Background information on specific penny stock companies along with a peek into their ongoing business development activities is also provided in these newsletters. Besides, transaction records published by the pink sheets and over the counter bulletin board (OTCBB) on penny stock trading on a daily basis can also come in handy for these investors.

Brokers specializing in penny stock trading also maintain their own databases on historical market trends, especially in those stocks which are actively traded. They also keep a close eye on unveiling of significant market and business investment plans. In addition, they also watch out for any signs of an imminent big move on the part of penny stock companies that would fundamentally alter investor sentiments on their stock when this information becomes public.

In addition, a growing body of information on web-based networks and blogs can also provide useful insights into penny market trends. This source of information can be used by investors to cross check veracity of their information gathered from the other sources. Insights picked up these sources will help you to some extent to avoid any likely financial traps that scammers may have laid for gullible investors of penny stocks. For investors in penny stocks, avoiding such traps should assume a high priority, considering the empirical evidence that fraudsters have been rather conveniently targeting these stocks.

By Peter Emerson

Penny Stock Fortune, Are You Ready To Make Yours?

There is no set formula on how to make a fortune in the stock market. If there was, there wouldn’t be a need for all the how-to-books and the multitude of websites full of information on how to make a penny stock fortune. Can it be done? Can you make a fortune off just penny stocks?
It is possible that buying and selling penny stocks can make you a fortune, if you know the proper way to do it. It takes a lot of experience, mixed with a bit of skill, but it does happen. The biggest mistake people make is not researching and getting a good grasp of what penny stock trading is before they start. Going this route will have you losing money instead of making that penny stock fortune. Nothing good ever happens when your careless.
One thing that entices people to try their hand at penny stocks is the high return on their investment. Just think about it. If you purchase a stock at $0.31, sit back, watch it rise and sell at $1.09; that is a 251% increase. There are, on record, stocks that have increased by over 400% in a very short amount of time. Think of the possibilities if you spread your allotted penny stock money among many stocks. With returns of 200% and upwards of 400%, your penny stock fortune may not be as far in the distant future as you think.
The reason you won’t find many penny stocks on Wall Street is because Wall Street doesn’t talk about or even think about companies that haven’t already proven themselves with large gains. If you get your advice from Wall Street you may be looking at a return of 3-5% a year. If you’re happy with that small of a return, great; but if you are looking for more, then why not try making your fortune through penny stocks.
When you are ready to begin working towards your penny stock fortune then it’s time to search for those penny stock guru’s; the guys who do nothing but study penny stocks and email their picks to their subscribers, people like you and me. You won’t know if you can make a penny stock fortune unless you try, and it’s ok to be cautious, it’s actually a good thing. Don’t throw all your eggs in one basket so to speak. Start small, and gradually grow your portfolio. You won’t make your penny stock fortune overnight, but you can make it over time.

by John Triggerman

JC Penney Coupons With Free Shipping

JC Penny is one among the largest chains of retail stores in the world. It is the lifetime achievement of a visionary, James Cash Penny. The first store started in 1902 at Kemmerer, Wyoming, and still operates. The path to success was not always filled with olives and spurs, it was an untreaded path involving perseverance and unwavering determination.
By starting with one retail store, the company now operates nearly 1050 stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Their product line includes everything from clothing, homewares, furnishings, right through to conventional merchandise. In addition to it, JC Penny includes several leased departments such as Optical, Portrait Studios, and Jewelry departments.
The stores represent the consumer section and hence they are forced to face with high level competitors. To maintain a steady growth in business they launch attractive offers to impress their customers. Hundreds of such offers are being poured out to their customers each year. Free shipping is one of the most popular features offered by JC Penny.
Shipping expenses are always considered as unnecessary by customers. They do not hesitate to spend large amounts on costly products but spending almost half of its cost on shipping is hard to fathom. JC Penny correctly understood the psychology of the customer and came up with an offer providing free shipping.
There has to be lot of changes made in the administration and logistical areas of a company to come up with such offers. Since the United States is a vast country, shipping products from one end to another can cost a huge sum. To find a solution to this issue and to gain customer satisfaction, JC Penny opened numerous warehouses and dispatch points at many corners of the country. By doing this, they could achieve delivering products to the customers exempting shipping.
The JC Penny coupons with free shipping are usually available online, at The JC Penny website, and in their shopping partner sites throughout the internet. These coupons contain a certain code that is to be entered while billing. Most of the time, JC penny coupons with free shipping are given for a purchase of over $99. The company does not lose much by providing free shipping to its customers and uses the offer as an effective marketing strategy.
These coupons are usually given on a seasonal basis and have a date of expiry corresponding to them. The JC penny coupons with free shipping can be redeemed by clicking on the link which says 'redeem my free shipping coupon' on their website. It is such offers and discounts that helped this organization succeed. There are many similar competitors in the field like Wal-Mart, Ikea, and Home Depot.
Though customers are provided with offers from its competitors, people are mainly attracted towards JC Penny because of its free shipping incentive. The company doubled its profits by adopting free shipping coupons. Its customers remain loyal due to the benefits with free shipping coupons and products, which enable their items to be delivered quickly with ease.

by Priscilla Queen